


Hic veni da mihi mortem iterum

by skyloftclouds



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cloud Strife Needs a Hug, Cloud is in denial about his emotions, Death, M/M, Not Beta Read, Sacrifice, Sad Ending, set after the remake, they're both suffering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:21:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25706566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyloftclouds/pseuds/skyloftclouds
Summary: Cloud and Sephiroth are destined to fight forever, no matter where they go. They could try to change destiny, to alter their fate.The only question is: At what cost?
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Hic veni da mihi mortem iterum

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a theory for the Remake that Cloud and/or Sephiroth die at the end so I took that and wrote a Oneshot about it. I wrote that one for several days so it might seem a bit over the place.  
> It was really nice to write, though I had a lot of trouble with writing the death scene itself, so that's why it's so short. And of course I had to use that one part of AC One Winged Angel as the title. 
> 
> Crossed out words are Cloud being in denial

It had hurt so much to watch her die. To see the sword piercing through her body, tainting her soft pink dress with the dark red of blood. She didn’t scream or made a pained sound, as if she were expecting this to happen all along. A smile graced her lips before her body went limp and all life left her.

Cloud had held her while crying, cradling her body in his arms and hoping that she would open her eyes. But she didn’t. Aerith was gone and Sephiroth had killed her. _And it hurt so much_.

They would no longer hear her sweet laugh and her calm voice as she assured them that everything would be fine. There would be no silly jokes from her or her cryptic messages about the fate of the world. It would be silent all over again.

She had wanted to tell Cloud something important, but now he would never know what it was. Cloud couldn’t help but wonder if it had to do with the prevention of Meteor or a much bigger threat. Aerith never really talked about the fate of the world, and if she did, the Whispers would appear immediately. But after defeating them she could talk more freely. Why didn’t she say something sooner?

Aerith was laid to rest in the lake outside, with a smile on her lips. She looked peaceful as her body slowly descended into the darkness below. Her body would soon join the Lifestream, circling the planet while watching over them. Or maybe she joined the rest of the Ancient in the Promised Land. Cloud didn’t really know what happened to Ancients when they died.

He spent the next few weeks staring into the distance, he could hear Sephiroth calling out to him. Calling for Reunion. He didn’t tell anyone about this, even though he should. Cloud knew that if he told the others about it, they would immediately start to pay more attention to him. To see if his eyes switched over to mako green with slit pupils. ~~Those beautiful eyes.~~

It had been hard to keep up with his daily routine, but he did his best. Their journey wasn’t over, they had to chase Sephiroth. He still had the Black Materia and it was only a matter of time before he used it. Maybe he got it already delivered to the Northern Crater. That thought alone made Cloud’s whole body tense up.

One night he had a dream about Sephiroth. They were standing at the Edge of Creation once again. This time the sky looked like it was bleeding, it was horrifying sight. Even in his dreams Cloud wasn’t granted the rest he craved so much.

“Think you can harass me in my dreams too?” Cloud couldn’t contain his anger and he didn’t want to. Sephiroth turned around. He looked tired, like someone who hasn’t slept in weeks. It made him appear human, even though Cloud didn’t want to think of him that way. Sephiroth was a monster. ~~And yet he still loved him~~.

“I’m not here to harass you, Cloud. I want to discuss a plan I’ve come up with.” “Oh yeah? And you think I’d willingly help you? Forget it!” Cloud wanted to wake up, escape this dream that felt like it wasn’t one.

Sephiroth sighed. “Are you at least willing to listen?” Cloud didn’t feel like he had much of a choice, he couldn’t wake up now and he doubted that Sephiroth would leave him alone. He nodded.

Sephiroth smiled at him and for the first time in years it didn’t look terrifying. Deep inside Cloud something hurt, _terribly_. Such a simple gesture made the man who just murdered one of his best friends look like a human being instead of the monster he was supposed to be. And it confused Cloud, _a lot_.

“Let’s sit down then.” Cloud stared at Sephiroth for a moment before he too sat down on the ground. Sephiroth cleared his throat before talking again.

“We have to kill each other. If we both continue to exist, this world will be doomed not only once. Think of it as an endless circle.” Cloud raised an eyebrow. “And you think I believe you?” Sephiroth shrugged, his eyes looked incredibly tired. “I don’t know what to do to make you believe me, but we have to do this.” Cloud laughed. “If you really think I’m going to believe you after all you’ve done…”, Cloud shook his head and took a deep breath. “…I can’t. And you know that. Why do you even think both of us have to die?”

He didn’t really know why they should have to kill each other. Killing Sephiroth was something that had to happen, but why did he have to die too? Wasn’t Sephiroth’s death enough? “Because I know what will happen. I will never fully die as long as you live.” That didn’t sound pleasant. Not only for Sephiroth, but Cloud wasn’t really fond of the idea to keep killing him for the rest of his life.

“How do you know what will happen? Can you look into the future or what?” Sephiroth shrugged.

“Let’s just say I’m different from the Sephiroth you see roaming around your world.” Okay that was confusing. Cloud’s head started hurting but this time it wasn’t because of Sephiroth’s presence.

“Why do you have to be so vague about everything? Can’t you just tell me the truth instead of dancing around it?” “I can’t. But trust me, you’ll understand it soon.” Cloud crossed his arms in front of his chest and huffed. “As if I’ll ever trust you again.” “That’s a pity.”

Cloud woke up with sweat running down his face and his heart was beating as if he had just run a mile. He looked around the room to see everyone else still sleeping.

Careful not to make any sound Cloud got up and walked outside, he needed some fresh air. It was not that cold outside, but a low breeze blew around. He heard someone walking behind him and turned around to see Tifa slowly walking over to him.

“Hey…” She kept a safe distance away from him and it made Cloud feel like she was afraid he would attack her like he’d done with Aerith a few weeks ago. He turned back around and looked at the sky, it was filled with so many stars, one couldn’t count them all. It started to remind him of his dream and he quickly shook his head to get rid of the thought.

“Did I wake you up?”, concern filled Cloud’s voice. He didn’t want to trouble his friends more than he already did.

Tifa shook her head. “No. I couldn’t really sleep. A lot’s on my mind.” Cloud nodded, he knew that feeling all too well.

He didn’t know if he should tell her about his dream or not. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, Tifa was a good friend to him and he was grateful for everything she had done for him up until now. But there was this nagging feeling in the back of his mind, telling him to keep it a secret from everybody.

Cloud decided it was for the best to not tell her about it for the time being.

“Do you… want to talk about it?” For a split second, Tifa looked at him like he had grown a second head. “I’m just worried about everything. What if it’s all for nothing and we can’t save the planet?” Cloud didn’t have an answer to that. “Wherever we go there’s death, it feels like a curse.”

_It feels like you’re the cause._

“We’ll figure this out, Tifa. We’re all in this together, remember?” She looked at him and her eyes looked like she might cry any moment. Tifa pulled herself together though and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Let’s get some sleep. We need to be well rested for the next journey.”

The next few days were spent journeying to the Northern Crater, they had to stop Sephiroth from summoning Meteor. Cloud’s mind was always occupied with the words Sephiroth had told him in his dream. Everyone else around him probably noticed it, but they didn’t ask him about it. Though he occasionally got a knowing look from Vincent.

Once they had reached the crater, Cloud felt a pull at his conscience. Sephiroth was there and he was waiting for him. The Reunion was near.

After encountering yet another Sephiroth clone that turned out to be Jenova once again, they got the Black Materia. They gave it to Vincent, he was the most responsible one of the group and every time someone else touched the materia, it felt like their strength was getting drained. Cloud figured he was probably immune to its effect, whatever it was.

Before they were going inside, they all voted for getting some rest. There was no point in charging in only to end up dead. Cloud dreaded going to sleep in a place so close to Sephiroth, but there was no other way.

Cloud knew that he was going to dream about Sephiroth again. There was no way that he would’ve had his peace while being in a place that was pretty much right next to him.

He wasn’t surprised to appear at the Edge of Creation once again. This time the sky was tainted in a much darker red.

Cloud looked to his side to see Sephiroth sitting on the ground, Masamune out of his reach. He was looking at the sky.

“Hello Cloud.” Sephiroth turned around to face him and a smile graced his lips. “I knew you’d try to haunt me right before we’re going to kill you.” Cloud couldn’t hide the venom in his voice. Sephiroth ignored him and motioned to the empty space next to himself.

“Care to join me?” Cloud rolled his eyes but walked over to sit next to him. “Whatever.”

They were silent for a few minutes and Cloud’s thoughts were running around yet again. After what felt like an eternity, Sephiroth spoke up. “We have to discuss our plan.” “Oh do we? I didn’t remember agreeing to anything.” Sephiroth looked at him and Cloud could see the desperation in his eyes, if only for a split second. Something inside him ached once again.

“Do you want to battle me over and over? For years on end? Even when you’re sick of fighting or your body breaks down under all the strain?” Cloud looked at his hands. He had cut down Sephiroth once, he was certain he could do it again with the support of his friends. But would he be okay to kill Sephiroth over and over?

~~With the thought in the back of his mind that he still held some ounce of love for him?~~

“I… I don’t know. How can I know that this isn’t some silly prank?” Sephiroth sighed. “I wish I could tell you, really. But I’m not allowed to.” It sounded just like Aerith.

Whenever she wanted to tell them something important, the Whispers appeared and cut her off. Cloud suspected it had to do with them wanting to maintain the original flow of fate. “You know more than you let on, right? Just like Aerith.” Sephiroth nodded and Cloud ran his hands through his own hair with a heavy sigh. “This is just too damn complicated.”

“We do have a way out of this, you know.” Cloud groaned and flopped onto his back, staring at the sky. “I can’t just leave my friends alone! What about the planet?” “They’ll figure something out.” “You’re not exactly helping.” Sephiroth chuckled.

Cloud spent some time deciding whether or not to trust Sephiroth. He could sneak out of camp and finish the task without his friends having to witness it. But they deserved to know what he was up to. He had to talk to them right after waking up.

“What’s your plan, Sephiroth?” Cloud sat upright again and looked at Sephiroth. “It’s simple. You come to the Northern Crater and then we’ll kill each other with Masamune. It’s easier to run us both through at the same time.” Cloud nodded. It was weird to talk about the plans of your own death and it send chills down Cloud’s spine.

“Are you afraid of death?” Sephiroth turned to look at him and smiled. “No.” He reached out and grabbed Cloud’s chin and leaned forward so their noses were almost touching. “I have you right next to me, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Right after that Cloud woke up with a startled gasp.

Cloud spent the morning pondering on how to tell his friends what he planned to do once they found Sephiroth. They definitely wouldn’t approve of his idea, especially because it was Sephiroth who brought it up. Given the recent events, Cloud couldn’t really blame them. They were concerned for his wellbeing, even if they didn’t show it that much.

“Are you lost in your thoughts again?” Tifa put on her gloves and looked at Cloud, who was crouching on the ground. Her sudden appearance had startled him slightly. “Huh? Oh… yeah. Just thinking about… things.” Cloud got up and reached behind himself, grasping the familiar hilt of his buster sword. It felt like his anchor onto reality.

“Are you okay? You seem a little bit off.” Tifa smiled, but it was more worried than happy. “I have to do something Tifa. And I don’t know how.” She cocked her head to the side in question. “Did you have another nightmare?” Cloud shook his head.

“No. More like a dream where I was told what I should do. But… I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about it.” Tifa nodded. “We’re there to support you. Remember this, okay?” She put her hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes, probably checking if his pupils were slit or not. They weren’t, Cloud knew this.

Once they reached the inside of the crater, Cloud could feel the pull towards Sephiroth. He couldn’t see him, but he felt his presence. ~~They would save the world together.~~

Everyone else looked around to see where Sephiroth was while Tifa kept a close eye on Cloud. He could feel her gaze on his back. Then, he spotted Sephiroth on top of a mako colored crystal. Even from that distance he could see the faint smile gracing his face.

“Sephiroth is here…” Tifa was immediately at his side and checked his eyes once again. It made Cloud feel like a burden. _Like they don’t trust you to keep the control over your body._

“It’s okay. We’re at your side.” Cloud nodded but he felt like his throat was burning. He was afraid of what was to come.

Sephiroth jumped down from his hidden spot and everyone readied their weapons. “I’m not here to fight you.” His voice sounded annoyed and for a moment Cloud feared that this was another black robed man. But he felt the pull towards him, it was a lot more different than the other one he felt towards the Jenova cells.

Barret was the first one to react. “As if we believe you!” The other’s soon joined in with their distrust of Sephiroth, Cloud was the only one who remained silent. He kept staring at Sephiroth, wondering what his next move would be.

“Cloud.” His voice was silky soft, ~~it was intoxicating~~. “Come here.” He obeyed. Not because he was controlled, he acted out of his own accord this time. The other’s watched in horror as Cloud walked into Sephiroth’s open arms.

“Have you lost your mind?!” Tifa was screaming and he could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Cloud shook his head. “I’m sorry everyone. This is what _we_ have to do.”

“Cloud.” He turned to face Vincent. “Think about this.” Sephiroth put his right arm around Cloud’s waist, pulling him closer. Cloud sighed. “This is my decision. I want to save you all.”

“And put us all through the misery of suffering?! Cloud why?!” Tifa had tears running down her cheeks and Cloud wanted to hug her so badly. Tell her that everything would be fine. That it would hurt at first, but they would all be safe from the returning threat. All they had to do was take care of the planet.

Sephiroth positioned Masamune at Cloud’s back and looked at him. Cloud could see the hesitation in his eyes. “Do it.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

When Sephiroth pushed the sword through Cloud and his own body, everyone around them screamed and tried to reach them. No one was sure which one they wanted to save, but it didn’t matter. Sephiroth had bound them with a stop spell in advance, preventing them from pulling the sword out.

Tifa sank to her knees and cried, the sound was heart wrenching. Cloud looked at her, it took all his strength to speak. “I’m… sorry.”

Blood poured out of the wound and Cloud felt weaker with every second that passed. He looked up at Sephiroth and met his weak smile. “It’s okay. We’re… going to… rest.”

The last thing he felt was Sephiroth’s arms around him, as they sank into the darkness together.

She had watched them the entire time from within the Lifestream. The moment Masamune pierced through Cloud and Sephiroth Aerith felt like her heart might break into thousands of tiny pieces.

She knew this was inevitable if they wanted to stop the destined flow of events. Nonetheless it _hurt_.

Before Sephiroth had killed her, she was trying to talk to Cloud about the requirements of changing destiny. But as if the calamity from the skies had sensed her plans, she was struck down.

Dying didn’t hurt as much as Aerith thought it would. Seeing someone else succumbing to death was a lot more painful, though. She could hear the planet crying out in pain as another child of hers was slaughtered.

For a moment, the Lifestream was silent. Normally she could hear the soft whisper of voices and feel the flow of life circling the planet. But right now everything was filled with an agonizing silence. Then she felt a stir in the Lifestream. They had arrived.

Aerith turned around with a smile to greet them. “I would say it’s good to see you, but… under these circumstances it’s not.” Cloud and Sephiroth opened their eyes and looked equally dumbfounded when they realized where they were.

Cloud was the first one to speak. “Are we dead? Did it work?” Aerith nodded. “The last thing that’s left for your is to become one with the Lifestream. I’m here to help you both.” Sephiroth remained silent.

Aerith sighed and approached them, holding out her hands to hold them both. “I wish things could’ve been different.” Sephiroth looked at her. “It’s better this way, you know this.”

She grasped both of their hands into her smaller ones and closed her eyes. “It’s time for you to go.” Cloud felt a lump in his throat, and he looked at Sephiroth, his face was serious, but Cloud could see the hurt in his eyes. “Are you two ready?”

Sephiroth and Cloud looked at each other and smiled. “Yeah.”

“Let’s rest.”


End file.
